Rules are made to be broken
by Valkyriexx
Summary: An extended version of Surprise. Arthur and Gwen follow Merlin one evening, and learn more than they bargained for. Now they have a decision to make. No Slash! Mild spoilers up to the end of S3. All characters belong to the BBC.
1. Discovery

Discovery

_**Whilst walking Gwen home, Arthur spots Merlin sneaking out of the city. He instantly follows his servant, but gets more than he bargained for along the way. **_

_**I know Arthur following Merlin to meet a certain Great Dragon is a popular story line, but bear with me. Next chapter Arthur and Gwen do some detective work. **_

Arthur leant down to kiss Guinevere goodnight. He hated leaving her every night, but they both knew it was too soon to broach the subject of marriage with his father. Uther was only just beginning to accept that Arthur was serious in his relationship with Morgana's former serving girl, who was now, by default, a Noble. Arthur had already spoken with Gwen over the prospect of marriage, and she had already agreed to accept his proposal once he had his father's blessing. It was just a matter of time.

A movement in a side alley caught his attention. He spun round, instinctively pulling Gwen behind him, and placing a hand on his sword. Immediately, he recognised the lanky frame of his manservant, skirting round a corner of the lower town, heading towards the South Gate. Gwen peered round him, just in time to see Merlin disappear.

'Where's he going?'

'I don't know, but I intend to find out,' Arthur took off after his servant, only half aware of Gwen following him.

The two hurried out of Camelot, the guards barely glancing at him as the Prince himself left the city. He could just see Merlin ahead of him, weaving through the tree's with an agility and stealth Arthur had never thought possible from the young man.

They followed him for a while, Merlin darting just ahead of them. He seemed to know where he was going, which confused Arthur. Who on worth could Merlin be meeting at this time of night?

Eventually, Merlin stopped on the edge of a clearing. Arthur and Gwen hid behind a tree, as they watched the young man walk out into the centre of the clearing.

'What's he…' Arthur was cut off as Merlin threw back his head, and roared.

'_O drakon, e mala soi ftengometh tesd'hup anankes! Erkheo!' __**(1) **_

Arthur clutched Gwen's hand as she gasped, he himself rigid with shock. Had Merlin just cast a spell? No, he couldn't have. Nothing had happened. But then, why was Merlin looking expectantly at the sky?

He soon got his answer.

A loud, beating sound soon reached their ears, and Merlin grimaced slightly in the clearing, still unaware of Arthur and Gwen watching him. The Prince watched in horror as a dragon, _the _dragon, the one he had supposedly killed, landed in front of Merlin and bowed, yes _bowed, _to the young servant.

'Did you complete the task I set you, Merlin?' So they'd met before. Arthur bit his lip. That wasn't a good sign.

'The Cup is safe, if that's what you mean,' Merlin smirked, looking up at the dragon without the slightest hint of fear on his face. For the second time in two years, Arthur had to marvel at Merlin's courage when faced with a dragon.

The dragon nodded. 'What is your reason for summoning me?'

'There is a darkness approaching Camelot. I've done what I can to ward it off, but nothing I've tried has worked.'

The dragon raised its head, sniffing the sky. 'You are correct young Warlock. There is indeed a darkness coming, but it has taken the form of a creature. A demon.' _Demon? What the hell is going on? _Arthur gripped Gwen's hand as another thought occurred to him. _Warlock? _

Merlin let out an aggravated sigh. 'Great. So, does that mean Morgause is back, or has Morgana learnt to summon creatures from Hell now?' Arthur gasped at the irritated tone in Merlin's voice, sharing a shocked glance with Gwen.

The dragon chuckled lightly. 'The witch, Morgause, has recovered enough to summon the creature.' Merlin scuffed the grass with his boot as the dragon continued. 'You're magic may not be enough to defeat it.' _Magic. _The word echoed around Arthur's head. _Merlin had magic; he was a sorcerer… He was evil._ He looked at Gwen, and even in the darkness, he could see the shock and sadness on her face.

Merlin's head snapped up to glare at the dragon. 'So what would you have me do? I'm not going to stand by whilst that thing attacks Camelot!'

'Camelot is not the main target!' the dragon boomed, causing Arthur and Gwen to jump. Luckily, Merlin didn't appear to hear them. His attention was focused solely on the dragon.

'Then, who…' Merlin paused. 'Morgause is targeting Arthur…'

'Destroying Camelot has never been the sister's goal, Merlin. You know this. Morgause once again intends to have Arthur murdered to make the witch the sole heir to the throne of Camelot. It is what they have always wanted.'

Even from their position behind him, Merlin's audience could tell that he was rolling his eyes. 'Can't they think of anything new?' he muttered. 'So, it will be hidden until it can get to Arthur. Subtle was always their style. How do I draw it out?'

'It is not as simple as you think, young Warlock. Your magic…'

'Isn't powerful enough, I know,' Merlin snapped, causing Arthur to jump. 'You've covered that. So what do you expect me to do, Kilgharrah?'

'I will give you the necessary spell, Merlin, just as I did with Sigan. But it will not be enough. You need a complete coin as a half is never truly whole without the other side. Without it, you will not be able to defeat the demon.'

Arthur's brow creased in confusion, and next to him, Gwen whispered, 'What?'

'Why couldn't you have just said, Arthur needs to help?' Merlin sighed, obviously agitated. 'I'm not involving him in this! It's too dangerous.'

'The demon is targeting the Young Pendragon. It is necessary…'

'No! I refuse to use Arthur as bait! There has to be another way.'

'There isn't,' the dragon responded calmly. 'You must use the Prince as bait, Merlin. It is the only way.'

Merlin paced in a small circle, his hands crossed across his chest. As he turned Arthur could see the troubled look on his face. 'What if he sees me using magic?'

Arthur's stomach dropped at the fear in his friend's voice. _Merlin's scared of me. He's scared of what I'll do if I find out about his magic. _But the worst part was he himself wasn't sure. And, from the look on her face, Gwen wasn't either. 

'Maybe the young Prince is ready to know.'

'No.' Merlin's tone was abrupt and firm, causing Arthur's hands to clench in anger. Gwen placed a comforting hand on his shoulder and he covered it with his own, glancing gratefully at her. They turned back to listen to what Merlin was saying. '… betrayed both of them; their hearts have been hardened against magic, maybe forever. If it came out who I really was… I don't want to die, Kilgharrah. And Arthur will surely kill me if he found out I was born with magic, just like Morgana.'

The dragon lowered its head, so it was level with Merlin. 'Merlin,' his voice was so deep and comforting; Arthur felt some of his anger dissolving. 'You are nothing like the witch. She is dark to your light, the….'

'…Hatred to my love,' Merlin finished. The dragon gave what Arthur assumed was a smile and Merlin laughed slightly. 'Ok, I'm ready.'

The dragon drew back, before blowing a gold mist over Merlin. Merlin tilted his head back slightly, before nodding as the last of the light faded.

'Thanks.'

'Remember this young warlock; you have underestimated the Prince before. He is stronger than you think.' And with that, the dragon took off. Merlin watched it go, before turning back into the forest, and disappearing in the direction of Camelot.

XxX

Arthur was sat at his desk when Merlin arrived the next morning. The young man looked surprised, but went about his chores with his usual grumbling and bantering. Arthur joined in half-heartedly, before sending Merlin away for the day, much to Merlin's surprise. At midday, Gwen arrived.

'Did you sleep last night?'

Arthur shook his head as he drew a chair for her to sit down, before sitting down next to her. 'I've been trying to figure out what to do.'

She sat back, watching him. 'Me too. Merlin… all this time. He must have been so scared.'

'And lonely,' Arthur added, putting his head in his hands. 'How did we miss it?'

'That doesn't matter anymore,' Gwen touched his arm, and he looked at her. 'What do we do now, Arthur?'

Arthur bit his lip. 'We wait. This demon thing is coming. We wait to see what he does, and we'll decide once that issue is taken care of.'

Gwen nodded, and the couple sat together, talking, well into the afternoon, until Arthur had to leave to dine with his father.

'It'll be OK, Gwen,' he smiled as he kissed her.

She forced a smile, and held onto his hand for as long as she could before he left. She could only hope that he was right.

_**Spell from Merlin Wikipedia page. It has the majority of spells used throughout the series on there. **_

_**Sorry if it isn't what you were hoping for, and Arthur seems a little OOC, but he's just found out that his best friend's lying and he's with Gwen so he's allowed to get a little emotional. Please review! I'll update as soon as I can, but I'm moving to boarding school tomorrow, so it might not appear until we're all settled in. **_

_**Thank you to my beta's, Arthursmol and Hollyblue2. **_


	2. Detectives

_Discussions and detective work_

_Thank you to everyone who has favourited and alerted! And thank you to my lovely reviewers! Pixiefreak, BagginsPotterPevensie, LyssaGibbs15, merlinftw, Adele, Thomson, RecklessSadhun, godsdaughter77 and SnowyMidnight421! You guys rock! _

_Thanks to everyone who's reviewed and favourited Surprise! _

_Disclaimer: I don't own Merlin right now, but someday… No slash, general spoilers for the majority of the series. I've decided to split this chapter into two parts. So Arthur and Gwen investigate in this chapter, and then there will conversations with Gaius and Merlin next chapter. _

_Sorry it's taken to long! _

_Arthur and Gwen investigate Merlin's magic and make a decision on what to do about him. _

Arthur was leaning against the battlements, watching Merlin talking and laughing with Gwaine and Lancelot, when she found him. She came up beside him, and placed a hand on his arm, immediately following his gaze.

'How's your head?'

Arthur glanced at her, and smiled, slightly. 'Fine, thanks to Merlin.'

Gwen smiled sadly as they watched Lancelot trying to rescue Merlin from the headlock Gwaine had trapped him in. 'You saw him take down the demon, didn't you?' Arthur nodded. 'What was it like?'

Arthur bit his lip, thinking hard about his answer. 'I'm… I'm not sure. It was incredible, but it was terrifying.' Gwen moved closer to him, watching him, and he took a deep breath. 'It hit me with this black cloud. I felt it burning me, and then, suddenly, it was just… gone. And I felt cool. My head hurt a bit, and I opened my eyes, and he was there. I could see his face, but he wasn't looking at me. He had one hand pointing just above the demon, and the other one was on my sword, which was just hovering next to him. And then this golden light hit it, and it screamed, and my sword burned with a silver fire, before he drove it into its chest.'

'The golden light…'

'Was the spell the dragon gave him, I guess,' Arthur shrugged, turning away as Merlin ran into the castle, Gwaine and Lancelot close behind him.

Gwen watched him closely, but he gave nothing away. 'Arthur?' He turned to her, his expression his regal one. 'Arthur, what are you going to do?'

He sighed, running a hand through his blonde hair. 'I don't know. He saved my life; I can't have him executed for that.' She looked relieved but he pressed on. 'But, we don't know enough about his magic. We need to know more before we can make a decision on what to do.'

'And, if you can't trust him?' Gwen couldn't keep the hesitation and fear from her voice, and she saw the flash of hurt in Arthur's eyes.

'I refuse to murder him, Guinevere. He either stays in Camelot, or goes back to Ealdor. I just have to decide which.'

She nodded. 'So, what do we do now?'

Arthur laughed slightly. 'We're going to do some investigating.'

XxX

Lancelot was in the stables when Gwen caught up to him. She gulped slightly, before approaching him.

After a quick talk, Arthur had decided that there were three people within Camelot who were the most likely to know Merlin's secret. Approaching Gaius wasn't the best idea when they had so little information; the old man would probably diagnose them with some sort of head illness and send them on their way. They'd agreed that Lancelot and Gwaine were the best options right now. If they could convince the knights that they meant no harm to the young sorcerer, the two would likely come clean, eager to out all the good deeds that Merlin had done. Seeing as Gwaine wasn't going to react well to a threat to his friend, Arthur had agreed to talk to the head-strong knights. Which left Gwen to deal with Lancelot.

Lancelot turned to greet her, his grin faltering as he saw the look on her face. 'Gwen? Are you OK?'

She nodded slightly, and he frowned. She took a deep breath. 'I need to ask you something.'

He moved towards her, but was careful not to come too close. 'Of course. Whatever you need.'

Gwen looked Lancelot in the eye. 'What do you know about Merlin's magic?'

Lancelot froze; his eyes wide. 'What?' he breathed.

'What do you know about Merlin's magic?'

'Guinevere… I…'

'Don't 'Guinevere' me, Lancelot,' she snapped. 'We saw him the other night. You've been covering for him since you met him. What do you know about his magic?'

Lancelot's eyes narrowed. 'We?'

Gwen bit her lip as she realised she'd slipped up. 'Me and Arthur.'

Lancelot looked horrified. 'Arthur knows?' She nodded. He started towards the stable door, but she stopped him.

'Where are you going?'

'Gwen,' he turned back to her, his eyes serious. 'There isn't a lot in this world that scares Merlin, despite what everyone seems to think. But one of things that does scare him is Arthur finding out his secret and rejecting him for it. It's the reason he's kept this secret all these years, and it haunts him every day. I've got to warn him.'

Gwen felt a pang in her chest at his words. She'd always known that Merlin was no coward, despite what Arthur said, but to hear that Merlin was terrified, living everyday with this constant fear, upset her.

'We mean him no harm, Lancelot,' she assured him. 'We just want to know more.'

He looked wary, but, eventually, gave in, slumping down on a hay bale. 'There are things you must understand, Gwen.' He rubbed his eyes wearily as she sat down beside him. 'I met Merlin four years ago. And I found out about his magic not long after that. He tried to deny it; he was scared. But he saved my life, Arthur's life, and probably half of Camelot's when he killed that Griffin.'

'_Merlin _killed the Griffin?' she gasped.

Lancelot nodded. 'I remember the exact words he said. _Bregdan anweald gafeluc._' She gasped again, but nothing happened. Lancelot continued as if he hadn't heard her. 'And I'll never forget the look on his face when he realised I'd heard him. But I swore to him that I'd keep his secret. And I refused to take the credit for something I hadn't done.'

'So that's why you left…'

'When I next saw him, he had come with Arthur to save you. He was more confident then, more trusting. He openly cast a spell once you and Arthur were down the tunnel, and made a joke afterwards,' Lancelot smiled sadly as he remembered the events of that day. Gwen couldn't help feel guilty as she was the reason he left.

'It wasn't until I went with him to destroy the cup of life did I really, truly, understand just how powerful Merlin was.'

'The..?'

'The cup of life,' he nodded. 'Merlin was going to go alone, but I persuaded him to take me with him. He defeated Morgause and emptied the cup of the blood it contained. He was ready to die to save Camelot, and he didn't get any thanks for what he had done. That's what Merlin does Guinevere. He hides in the shadows, and, when the time comes, he does what he has to, to protect this kingdom, and to protect you, and Arthur. Afterwards, he'll return to his position as the clumsy servant, always loyal, and never complaining. '

Gwen sat there, shocked. 'What else has he done?'

'More than he'd ever told me. Gaius told me that he lost the love of his life, yet he never said a word. His father died not long afterwards, but Merlin still carried on, bearing his burden alone. Even Gaius has been hard pressed to get him to talk about it.'

She was crying now, silent tears trickling down her beautiful face. 'Why didn't he tell me? I would've understood. I…'

'He doesn't talk about his magic, or anything related to it, Gwen,' Lancelot's tone was soft, but firm. 'His father was the last of the Dragon Lords, a heritage he gained when Balinor died. Unless you corner him and force him to confess, he will not tell you about his magic. Please, Gwen. Leave him alone. It's what's best for Camelot, and for Arthur, and for you.' He stood to leave.

'And Merlin?' she asked, her voice shaking slightly. 'Is it really what's best for him, Lancelot? To be going through this pain alone?'

Lancelot turned back to face her. 'Probably not. But it's the decision he's made, and all I can do is be there to support him.'

Gwen looked him in the eye. 'Then I'll be there too.'

XxX

Arthur followed Gwaine into the armoury, shutting the door and locking it behind him. Gwaine turned to look at him, eyebrows raised.

'Something you want, Princess?'

Arthur leant against the door, surveying the knight. Gwaine glared at him, and Arthur laughed. 'I never would have guessed, you know. I get why he trusted you though. You're so overprotective of him.'

Gwaine frowned. 'What are you on about, Arthur?'

'Merlin's magic,' Arthur smiled. 'You knew, didn't you?'

The reaction, whilst explosive, wasn't unexpected. Gwaine stood for a moment, before hurling a sword from the rack at the Prince. Arthur side stepped it, turning as Gwaine rushed him, pressing the blade of his own sword to Arthur's throat. 'If you dare…'

'I'm not going to hurt him,' Arthur gasped, leaning back slightly so the sword didn't cut his throat.

'I swear _princess,' _Arthur flinched at the venom in Gwaine's voice. 'If you so much as _touch _him…'

'Gwaine…'

'I don't care if you're the heir to the throne, I will hunt you down and cut you to…'

'Gwaine..!'

'And if Uther goes for him, I'll make sure that both of you never….'

'GWAINE!' Gwaine's mouth closed and his eyes narrows. 'I don't want to hurt Merlin. I just want to talk.'

Gwaine glared at him for a moment longer before withdrawing the blade. He didn't, however, sheath it.

'That, however, is what I meant by overprotective.'

'What can I say?' Gwaine muttered. 'Someone needs to watch his back.'

Arthur nodded. 'I know. So, when'd he tell you about his magic?'

'He didn't,' Gwaine shrugged. 'I saw him do magic the first time we met, but I never got the chance to bring it up. Just… slipped my mind, I guess,' he smiled slightly at the memory. 'He was throwing plates and benches across the room with his mind. Didn't utter a word, all the while focused on protecting you and the villagers around you. Not what I consider evil, so I just let him be. Figured he'd tell me when he was ready.'

'He never…'

'Told me,' Gwaine nodded. 'Yeah.'

'What about Lancelot and Gaius?'

Gwaine's eyebrows shot up, but Arthur just shrugged, so he answered. 'He didn't want to tell them. Lancelot told me that they both caught him doing magic, not long after they met him, same as me. Difference is, they approached him and forced him to confess. I didn't.'

'Forced him?' Arthur exclaimed.

'Backed him into a corner where he couldn't deny what he'd done,' Gwaine explained, 'They wanted to help him, but he didn't understand to begin with. It's why he's so jittery all the time. He's terrified of being caught, and knowing that there was one more person who could blow his secret would probably send him over the edge.'

Arthur bit his lip. 'I never thought of it that way. I just assumed…'

'That he didn't trust you,' Gwaine finished. 'You can think of it in two different ways, princess. Merlin trusts you with life; he'd die for you in a heartbeat, and the rest of us without a second thought. But he never trusted _anyone _with his magic!'

Gwaine turned round and seated himself on one of the benches, watching Arthur closely.

'I don't know much about his magic; most of its just guess work. Lance won't tell me too much, and Gaius doesn't know that I know. He'd tell Merlin if he did.'

'So, what do you know?' Arthur sat himself down next to Gwaine, much as if he was talking to Merlin himself.

'I know he's powerful, and I know that he's very good at what he does. I've seen him save your life many times since I became a Knight; on hunts, in tournaments, even the occasional assassin that had a go while your back was turned. All these things that were threatening you that you didn't even notice. Plus all the ones you did, but you never figured out what happened to them.'

Arthur sat for a moment, staring at his hands. There were a lot of occasions like that; waking up to Merlin telling him that everything's fine; that Arthur had defeated the threat. How many of those times was it actually him?

'So, what now, Princess?'

Arthur looked at the Knight, and grinned, slyly. 'Now, you keep your mouth shut around Merlin, and I go talk to Guinevere to find out what she's learnt from Lancelot.'

Gwaine's mouth fell open. '_Gwen _knows?'

'She was with me when we caught Merlin using magic.'

'Merlin will flip when he finds out that so many people know his secret.'

Arthur shrugged. 'Then he'd better not find out then,' he grinned.

_**Next Chapter: Arthur has a cryptic conversation with Merlin and the couple approach Gaius about Merlin's magic and what they plan to do.**_

_**Please review! I'm sorry it's taken so long but Boarding School, you know.  
>Anyway, see you soon! <strong>_

_**Valkyriexx**_


	3. Decisions

Decisions

_**Thanks again to my wonderful reviewers! My inbox is nice and full of your wonderful feedback and advice, but there's always room for more! Some special Merwen friendship especially for BagginsPotterPevensie featured in this chapter. **_

_**After talking with Gwaine and Lancelot, Gwen and Arthur must now come to a decision. Meanwhile, Merlin has noticed that something is wrong with his two friends. **_

Merlin sat by the window in Gaius' chambers, running his finger along the edge of the wooden dragon Balinor had given him the day he died.

It had been a tough few months, and he'd been thinking more and more about Balinor, Will and Freya. Mostly Freya. Would they be proud of him? Would they be disappointed?

Hearing that Morgause had recovered troubled him, and he couldn't even warn Arthur that she was back.

Speaking of which…

Arthur had been acting very strangely these past few days; him and Gwen. Arthur had become more silent and withdrawn, scrutinizing Merlin's every move as he'd gone about his chores. There was no banter, no snarky comments. Nothing. Gwen, on the other hand, was behaving like they'd only just met. She acted nervous, stumbling over her words and hurrying away before she managed to finish a sentence. It had only been a few days, but Merlin was worried. Something wasn't right. Maybe they'd had an argument or something…

Sighing, Merlin rubbed his brow, before tucking the dragon statue back into his pocket and turning to leave, bumping straight the person that had come up behind him.

'Ow! Oh, Gwen,' he smiled, taking a step back. 'I'm sorry, I didn't see you there.'

She smiled at him. 'Don't worry; I shouldn't have come up behind you like that. What were you looking at?'

Merlin hesitated, before pulling the figure out of his pocket. 'My father made it, before he died.'

She reached out for it and took it from him, holding it up to the window. 'It's beautiful. He must have been very talented.'

Merlin nodded as he took it back. 'He was the best.' He looked off into the distance, taking a moment to control the sad feeling that came over him.

Gwen shook her head, sadly. 'I'm sorry.'

'It was a long time ago.'

Merlin sat down heavily on the bench, and Gwen sat down beside him, rubbing his arm in a comforting gesture. Merlin smiled.

'This is the most you've talked to me these last few days.'

She titled her head sideways, looking confused. 'Sorry?'

'You've been acting strange lately.'

She looked saddened by his words and Merlin rubbed the back of his head, feeling awkward. The weight that he had felt lift by telling Gwen about Balinor was back and he suddenly felt very tired.

'I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said anything.'

He stood up.

'I'm OK, really. I've just had a lot on my mind recently,' she muttered. He turned to look at her.

'If you're sure. You know, if you need me, I'm here for you.'

She gulped slightly and nodded. She seemed to be fighting back tears. Feeling the tension rising, Merlin turned to leave.

Suddenly, Gwen rushed forward, throwing her arms around Merlin's neck, and hugged him tightly. Merlin staggered back, shocked at the force of the impact, but Gwen just tightened her grip.

'You're amazing, Merlin,' she whispered in his ear.

'Erm, thanks?'

She hugged him, if possible, even tighter, and Merlin, tentatively, returned it.

'Gwen, has something happened?'

She stepped back, keeping her hands on his shoulders. 'No, of course not! I just…. You're such a wonderful person, Merlin, and I don't know what we'd do without you if anything happened to you. Not that anything's going to happen to you, but I wanted you to know, just in-case something did happen…'

'Gwen.'

She shut her mouth, and went noticeably red. He stared at her for a moment.

'Has Arthur threatened to kill me again?' She looked horrified.

'What? No!'

'Hey,' his voice was quiet, and soothing. 'I was joking, Gwen.'

She gulped and looked down, nodding. He frowned at her, confused.

'Gwen, do you know something I don't?'

Gwen shook her head, smiling sadly. 'No, Merlin. Everything's fine. Just… promise me something.'

'Of course.'

'Don't ever change.' She stood on tiptoe to kiss his cheek, and left, leaving behind a very confused and concerned Merlin.

He shook his head before heading off to complete his chores. Maybe Arthur would make more sense. He laughed at himself. When did the Prince ever admit what he was feeling?

XxX

Merlin was already waiting for him when he got back that night. He was surprised to see his servant, as he hadn't seen Merlin all day. He noticed that his room was tidy, his bed turned down and his clothes laid out, ready for him. 

He turned to Merlin, eyebrows raised. Merlin shrugged.

'You've had a lot on your mind recently.'

Arthur looked at him for a moment before heading towards the screen. He heard Merlin sigh and instantly felt guilty.

He'd been pushing Merlin away the past few days, still wary of his servants' hidden talents. He hadn't even thought of the effect his actions would have on Merlin.

'Arthur.'

Arthur turned back to his servant.

'I know I'm not a Knight, and I know I'm certainly not Gwen,' he smiled slightly. 'But, you know I'm always here for you, if you need me. I'm happy to be your servant…'

'Till the day you die,' Arthur finished, feeling his breath catch as he recalled his servants' words from three years previously. Merlin's eyes went wide.

'You remember?'

'It's not something that's easy to forget. I'd just been brought back from the brink of death,' Arthur shrugged, and moved off, mentally slapping himself at the resignation in Merlin's eyes. The younger man didn't deserve this; not after all he had done.

Merlin nodded curtly, heading towards the door.

Just as he reached for the handle, Arthur called out to him.

'Camelot means a lot to you.'

He paused. 'Yes, it does.'

'You'd do anything to protect it?'

'Yes.'

'Even die?'

Merlin flinched slightly, but looked back to hold Arthur's gaze.

'Yes.'

Arthur felt a lump form in his throat at the sincerity in that one word. 'That's what you meant, isn't it? When you said you'd be my servant till the day you died. You thought you were going to die.' Merlin looked at him for a moment before nodding. 'Why?' The servant looked confused. 'If I remember correctly, I was the one dying, not you.'

Merlin shrugged, causing Arthur to frown.

'Why didn't I die, Merlin?'

Merlin shrugged again. 'I traded my life for yours and you were healed, but something went wrong and Nimueh died instead of me.'

'Nimueh?' Arthur exclaimed. 'The sorceress that caused the plague not long after you arrived?'

'Umm… yeah. Pretty much.'

'How did that happen?'

Merlin jerked his head, and Arthur took that to mean he wasn't going to get anything more out of the servant. It was pretty miraculous he'd forced any kind of confession from the Warlock.

Arthur stepped behind the screen, and changed quickly. He could hear Merlin cleaning up, as he walked out from behind the screen, and climbed into bed. Merlin grabbed his laundry, and blew out the candle closest to Arthur bed, before moving away.

'Merlin.'

Merlin turned back to the Prince.

'Thank you.'

He saw the disbelief in those blue eyes, before it melted into relief and happiness. He nodded one last time, before blowing out the last candle, and leaving Arthur to sleep.

Arthur rolled over under the covers, smiling to himself.

He knew what he had to do.

XxX

The next morning, Arthur set Merlin a list of chores that would ensure that he was kept away from Gaius' chambers whilst they were talking with the Physician. Arthur was slightly nervous about approaching the Physician with his plan, but he knew they would need the old man's help if they were going to succeed. Besides, who was he to run away from a challenge?

Gwen gave Arthur's hand a squeeze, and he looked at her, giving her a small smile of encouragement.

She took a deep breath, before pushing open the door to Gaius' chambers.

The Physician was bent over a large tome, but he glanced up as the couple entered. He smiled, straightening up.

'Sire, Guinevere. What can I do for you? Is everything alright?'

'Yes, Gaius. We were just wondering if you could answer some questions for us.'

'Of course, sire.' Gaius took off his glasses, and moved round the table, indicating for the couple to sit, but they didn't .He frowned. 'Is something troubling you?'

'No… well, yes. It's just that…'

Arthur rolled his eyes. 'Something's happened, Gaius, and we'd like your advice on handling the situation.'

Gaius looked between the two. 'I'm always happy to assist. What seems to be the problem?'

'Well…'

Gaius took a step forward. 'Guinevere? Are you alright? You're looking rather unwell.'

Arthur inhaled deeply, before meeting Gaius' worried look.

'What do you know about Merlin's magic?'

Gaius blinked.

He stood for a moment, staring at Arthur, before staggering slightly. Arthur darted forward, catching the old man and lowering him onto the bench. Gaius clutched the side of his head as he began to tremble. Gwen hurried over with a cup of water, which Gaius took gratefully.

'Thank you,' Gaius muttered, before taking a sip. 'Oh, my boy…'

'Gaius?' Gwen shook her head, sitting down next to the Physician.

Arthur sat across from Gaius staring at his hands as Gwen supported the old man, who appeared to be in shock. Unwilling to talk first and, unwittingly, cause the old man further stress, Arthur sat in silence for the time being.

'That stupid boy,' Gaius muttered, eventually. Arthur looked up but the old man was still focusing on the cup in his hands. 'I warned him… I warned to be more careful.'

Arthur bit his lip. 'We're not going to hurt him.'

'I know that, sire, but it doesn't change the fact that his carelessness has, once again, put him in danger.'

'He was being careful,' Gwen insisted. 'He was worried about us.'

Gaius smiled sadly. 'He's always worried about you, Guinevere.'

Arthur leant forward slightly. 'Can you tell us about him?'

'Merlin should be the one to tell you, sire.'

'He can't know that we know, Gaius. Not yet.'

Gaius raised an eyebrow at the Prince, but chose not to comment, instead, moving on. 'What is it that you want to know, sire?'

'Whatever you feel comfortable telling us about.' Gwen moved slightly to give Gaius more space, and Gaius nodded.

'Well, first I would like to establish what you two have already found out.'

'Well, we know that he's the last Dragonlord and that Balinor was his father,' Arthur listed, watching Gaius' eyes widen. 'We know that's he's powerful and very over-protective of everyone in Camelot. We also know that he finds it difficult to trust because of how long he's been living with this secret. And…' here Arthur hesitated, glancing at Gwen, who nodded. 'We know that, two years ago, Merlin fell in love. And that she died, not long after.'

Gaius looked stunned.

'You know about Freya?'

'We didn't know her name, and we don't know what happened.'

Gaius nodded slowly. 'Well, that's more than I expected you to know. The only other thing I can think of to tell you is that Merlin was born with his abilities.'

'Born? Is that even possible?'

'Many magicians are born with their powers, but, normally, the powers emerge over time, and the magician has to work exceptionally hard to keep their abilities. I, for one, have limited magic now as I have not practised it in years.

'Is that what happened with Morgana?'

'Yes. Her powers emerged as those of a seer; the magic came later, and she didn't have to work as hard as a normal sorcerer. '

Arthur frowned. 'And Merlin?'

'Merlin is the exception to the rule,' Gaius smiled. 'He never had to work for his magic; it's as natural to him as breathing. His mother was terrified he'd be caught and murdered as a small child when he had no control over his magic. Merlin is destined to be the single, most powerful Warlock to ever live.'

Arthur gaped at Gaius, Gwen glancing between the two. 'Warlock?'

Gaius nodded. 'Merlin is a Warlock, not a sorcerer, by definition. But he does prefer to be referred to as a Warlock; that way, he doesn't feel as connected to people like Morgana and Morgause. It helps him cope better.'

Arthur shook his head. 'Who one earth told Merlin that he was destined to be the most powerful magician, ever?'

'Kilgharrah did.'

Arthur snorted. 'The dragon?'

A wave of realisation crossed Gaius' face. 'So that's how you found out! You saw Merlin with the Great Dragon.' Arthur nodded and Gaius shook his head. 'That explains how you knew about Balinor, but not how you knew about Freya.'

Arthur's face remained impassive, but Gwen glancing him, looking worried, Gaius frowned.

'Someone told you. Someone told you about Merlin's love for Freya, and the only other person who knew about her, apart from myself, was… Lancelot.'

The look on Gwen's face confirmed Gaius' suspicions, and the old man looked outraged.

'Merlin trusted him!'

'He didn't want to talk! He wouldn't tell me anything until I assured him that I'm not a threat to Merlin. And, even then, he only told me enough to convince me to keep my silence.'

'It obviously didn't work,' Gaius muttered.

Arthur huffed. This was getting them nowhere. He leant forward.

'Gaius, I was telling the truth when I said I'm not going to hurt Merlin, but that doesn't mean I'm not going to do anything about his magic either. The only reason I'm talking to you about this is because I'm going to need your help.'

Gaius' eyes narrowed as he surveyed the Prince. 'What do you plan to do?'

Arthur grinned and told Gaius his plan, watching Gaius' eyes go wide. By the time Arthur had finished, Gaius had a tear in the corner of his eye.

'Are you serious?'

Arthur nodded. 'Very serious, Gaius. But now you see why I'm going to need your help.'

'Of course, Arthur. Whatever you need me to do.'

'Tell me everything you can so I understand what he needs the most.'

'I already know what he needs, Arthur,' Gaius sighed, looking saddened. 'He needs to learn that he is allowed to love, and trust, without having everything ripped out from under him. I have been making progress with him. You were told by Lancelot that he never told anyone his secret?' They nodded. 'That was true until a few months ago, during the last tournament. He confessed to another young sorcerer what he was in an effort to save the young man's life. He succeeded. Gilli is now one of the few allies Merlin has within the magical world.'

'But,' Gaius looked between the Prince and Gwen, 'I think it would be better if I started from the beginning. There is a lot of stuff I don't know, but I know most of it.'

'I hope you're both comfortable.'

XxX

Arthur's head was hurting by the time Gaius finished three hours later. When the Physician finally stopped talking, they sat there in silence for a while, each of them lost in thought.

How could Merlin have done so much; been through hell and never have said a word?

He jumped as the door opened, and Merlin walked in. He stopped at the sight of the three of them sat around the table.

'Don't tell me Gaius is going to start acting weird, too,' he moaned.

Arthur blinked, before looking back at Gaius, who, when he caught the Prince's eye, started laughing. Arthur couldn't help it, once he saw the exasperated look on Merlin's face.

He laughed too.

_**I'm not too keen on this ending, but, I really want to move onto the next chapter. Plus, I can imagine Merlin walking in and making that comment.**_

_**Next time: Arthur tries to convince Uther to go along with his plan. **_

_**Thank you to my lovely betas Arthursmol and Hollyblue2! **_

_**Who else thought The Darkest Hour Part 1 was awesome? I actually can't wait for the second part next week! **_

_**Please review!  
>Valkyriexx<strong>_


	4. Defiance

Defiance

_**Sending virtual hugs to everyone who's read, reviewed, favourited and alerted. And lots of Merlin shaped cookies! I'm sorry it took so long; my computer died on me and it took me a while to work out how to fix it. My dad did it in the end. **_

_**Who else thought the last Merlin episode was awesome! I won't ruin it for those who haven't seen it, but it's definitely one of the best yet!**_

_**A little bit of Merlin/OC but that's because I'm a sap and would like for Merlin to have a girlfriend in the series, especially after Freya and all the other stuff he's had to put up with. And some Merlin/Arthur bromance that has been non-existent so far. And don't worry about Arthur going to Uther. He's not planning on getting Merlin killed. Quite the opposite in fact. **_

_**Rambling over. On with the chapter! **_

The Kingdom of Camelot was in the midst of a great celebration. Prince Arthur and the Lady Guinevere were to be married and the people rejoiced. A great feast was held a few days after the announcement and Lords and Ladies from all over Albion ascended on Camelot to congratulate the happy couple. Everything was perfect.

Except it wasn't.

It had now been two weeks since Arthur and Gwen discovered Merlin's secret, and they had yet to move onto the next stage of their plan. But, even with the Physician on their side, it had been hard to find the right moment to broach the subject with Uther.

Since Morgana's betrayal, the King's hate of magic had deepened, yet, unexpectedly, there had been fewer executions for the use of magic. The trials were fairer, and more innocent people walked free; some despite their blatant use of magic for mundane tasks.

In his despair, Uther had become a fairer, more just man, unable to persecute those who reminded him so much of his daughter.

For Arthur, the time was right. At the feast, he would make his case with Gaius, Lancelot and Gwaine to back him up if – no, _when _– the King rejected it.

This needed to happen. There was no going back now.

'Are you thinking about Gwen again?'

Arthur jumped and turned to face his amused manservant.

'What's it to you if I am?'

Merlin grinned. 'Nothing; nothing at all.'

'You do realise she's going to be your Queen in a few months, Merlin?'

'My Queen? I thought she was marrying you.'

'_Mer_lin!'

They stared at each other for a moment before Arthur threw his goblet at the other man.

Merlin ducked instinctively and gave Arthur a mock, disapproving look.

'That's not nice.'

'Don't be nosy then,' Arthur smirked before turning his attention back to the speech he was supposed to be writing for his engagement dinner that night.

'You know, it's not really nosy when the entire kingdom knows that all you do is think about is your beautiful, charming, witty…'

'Merlin…'

'Shut up?'

Arthur nodded, laughing, and Merlin raised an eyebrow at him, but continued picking up the clothes strewn across the floor. The Prince waited until Merlin had his lunch tray balanced precariously in his hands before speaking again.

'What about you and Lucy? You've been spending a lot of time with her recently.'

_Clang! _

Arthur laughed as Merlin spluttered, the exact reaction he'd been aiming for.

'What? No… I haven't… I mean… We're just…'

Arthur held up his hand. 'Relax, Merlin. I'm very happy for you two. Just… don't give your heart away too fast, okay?'

They were both thinking of Freya now, though only Arthur knew that. Merlin nodded and picked up the tray again, turning to leave.

'And try and be a gentleman towards her,' Arthur added.

Merlin turned back, a disgusted look on his face. 'Just because you're getting married, doesn't mean that you know enough about women to give _me _love advice!'

'Love? Who said anything about love?' Arthur grinned. Merlin stared at him for a moment, before storming off, leaving a chortling Prince behind.

XxX

The Great Hall was bright and merry for the Prince's engagement feast. Arthur sat on his father's right hand side, beaming. Gwen was next to him, looking flushed, but delighted. Merlin was grinning from where he stood behind them. Across the room, Lucy caught his eye and went slightly red as she served the Knight's. Arthur glanced back at his servant who gave him a look that clearly said _shut up_.

It was all going perfectly. A very put-out Vivian had informed him that she would wait for the day he came to his senses; Arthur took that to mean nobody had broken the love spell on her yet. On the other hand, a very delighted Olaf had presented him with a beautiful jewel encrusted sword.

Arthur laughed, and talked the night away. Uther spent a great deal of time talking to Gwen, and Arthur was delighted to find that he was smiling the majority of the way through the conversation. Gwen looked relieved too. She kept shooting him glances, and he nodded to her.

As the festivities continued into the night, Uther stood, bidding goodnight to the happy couple, and departing. Arthur jumped to his feet immediately to follow his father out, shaking his head when Merlin made to follow him. The servant raised an eyebrow at him, but shrugged.

In the cool darkness of the hallway, Uther turned to his son, looking curious.

'Arthur? Is something the matter?'

Arthur held his father's gaze for a moment, before taking a deep breath.

No turning back. For Merlin's sake.

'I want to repeal the ban on magic.'

XxX

Arthur made his way down the council chambers early the next morning, thinking about what he had to say.

Uther had been shocked at his sons request the night before and, although he hadn't dismissed the idea, he hadn't agreed to it either. Still, Arthur had high hopes.

The King had called Gaius into his chambers at dawn that morning, no doubt to discuss what could have come over his son. Gaius had agreed to attend the talk that very morning, and had recommended three of Arthur's knight's be present as well; Leon, Gwaine and Lancelot. Although Leon may not know the secret that the other four shared, the Prince knew his second in command would back him up.

The guards opened the doors to allow him entrance as he strode towards them, bowing as he passed. He nodded to them, and approached the table.

'Sire. Gaius.'

Uther and Gaius looked up from where they'd been talking as he entered. Uther nodded briefly to his son, gesturing to the seat next to him.

'Sit down, Arthur. I have made a decision considering your proposition from last night.' Arthur sat back, sighing, already knowing what his father was going to say.

'I cannot allow you to introduce magic back to the Kingdom, Arthur. It would cause untold damage to the citadel, and make us seem weak to our allies, and our enemies. If you cannot see this, Arthur, then you are not ready to run this kingdom.'

'I _have _been running this kingdom, ever since we beat Morgana,' Arthur kept his voice low and his tone firm. 'I _know _what this kingdom needs better than anyone right now. And, right now, it needs magic to return! We cannot hope to stop Morgana without magic.'

'We have before…'

'No, father. We haven't.'

Uther stared at him. 'What are you talking about?'

Gaius coughed slightly. 'What Prince Arthur is saying, sire, is that he was aided by a magic user in the retaking of the castle. A warlock.'

Uther's eyes bulged as he rounded on his son. 'You enlisted a _sorcerer_ to _help _you? What were you thinking Arthur? Do you have any idea what you have done?'

'Warlock.' Four voices corrected him. Uther turned to Gaius.

'You _knew_?'

'It would be hard not to notice Emrys' work, my Lord.'

'Emrys?' The King went pale. 'Emrys is here?'

'Indeed he is, my lord.'

'But if Emrys is here, then we are all in danger! My throne… _you're _throne, Arthur!'

Arthur laughed. 'Emrys won't hurt me, father.'

'He is a sorcerer! He can't be trusted.'

'I trust him more than any other person, father. He would never dream of hurting us; not when he's dedicated his life to serving and protecting Camelot.'

Uther sat for a moment, processing this information, before speaking again. 'It does not matter what this man has done for Camelot; he is still using magic in a Kingdom where it is forbidden. If you feel so strongly about the subject, Arthur, I suppose I could have him banished instead of executed. '

'He's not going anywhere, Uther,' Gwaine snapped from where he stood, behind Gaius. Arthur rolled his eyes at the Knight as the King looked outraged.

'Are you questioning me?' he snarled, his voice threatening. This didn't appear to faze Gwaine in the slightest.

'No,' Gwaine said, his tone serious for the first time in his life. 'I'm over-ruling you for the sake of this Kingdom. It's my duty to protect it, and the only thing keeping this castle standing right now is our friend the Warlock.'

'That's a bit of an exaggeration, _Sir _Gwaine,' Arthur raised an eyebrow at the Knight, who merely shrugged. Lancelot nodded his head in agreement.

'He may not be keeping Camelot standing now, but he most certainly has in the past. Please, sire,' he looked to the King. 'Consider Prince Arthur's proposition.'

'Enough!' Uther slammed his fist onto the table, his face going red as he rose to his feet. 'You will not speak to me in such a way. I understand that you are Arthur's personal Knight's, but I am _still your king_! I will be sending out search parties until they discover this sorcerer, and he shall be punished in accordance with the laws of Camelot. I will _not _be making any exceptions, just because you believe that he may not be evil, Arthur. You still have much to learn before I would be confident in your ability to run this Kingdom. I am releasing you from your duties as Prince Reagent.'

Uther stormed away, heading for the doors. Arthur gulped, and forced his hands to stop shaking as he glared at Gwaine. The Knight bit his lip, looking worried.

One last shot.

'Is that that what you would have done to Morgana?'

The King froze, but neither father nor son turned. Arthur stared straight ahead as he continued talking.

'Morgana's magic was instinctual to begin with. She wasn't evil, or corrupted; merely confused and scared. Would you have executed her then, or would you have tried to save her?'

'The laws…'

'Your laws,' Arthur stood, and took a step towards his father, who was looking back at him. 'You broke them once for her. You begged Gaius to use magic to save her,' the King glared at Gaius who merely held his gaze. 'But what if it wasn't Gaius who healed her? What if it was Emrys? Would you have killed him then?'

Uther stared at Arthur. Both Gwaine and Lancelot looked impressed, whilst Leon and Gaius just looked proud, as the Prince stood firm against his father for the sake of a friend who had him so much.

It was time to return that favour.

'I am asking you to give others like Morgana the opportunity to live their lives to the full. Emrys has spent his whole life hiding; he has given up so much so that we may rest easy at night, knowing that some unknown force is watching over us. There are others just like him, who wish to use their gifts to help the people around them, but dare not for fear of what will happen if they do. Imagine the difference they will make to our Kingdom once they are free. The crops will be more yielding than ever; the sick will not suffer with fevers; the Kingdom need not fear magical attacks from those bent on liberation and revenge.'

Uther stared at his feet, biting his lip, as Arthur continued.

'Morgana may even forgive you, if you do this for her kin.'

'Morgana will never forgive me, Arthur,' he whispered, his voice so full of pain that Arthur felt very guilty. Perhaps he'd gone too far…

'But you're right.' Everyone in the room looked up to meet the King's gaze. 'There has been enough blood shed. If Morgana hadn't been too scared to approach me, I might have been able to save her. And you must now do the same for your friend.'

Arthur smiled, looking around his Knight's, two of whom looked delighted. Leon just gave him a look that meant _you'll have to explain this one to me later_.

'I will announce that the laws on magic are to be repealed immediately. Gather the people,' he turned to leave.

'Wait.'

All eyes turned to the Prince, who was grinning mischievously.

'I have a better idea.'

_**So, that's phase 2 of Arthur's plan completed. Hope he seemed more Princely in this chapter than he has in the past ones. So, next time: the final stage of Arthur's plan. **_

_**I'll get it updated as soon as I can, as long as my laptop behaves itself. Luckily, the majority of the chapter's already written. I only have to edit it.**_

_**TTFN  
>Valkyriexx<strong>_


	5. Dramatic

**Dramatic **

**In this chapter: Merlin finally learns what everyone's been keeping from him, and Arthur has one more thing to say. **

**(A/N) Off topic, has anyone else listened to Iris by the Goo Goo Dolls and thought the chorus fit Merlin perfectly? I did. **

Merlin woke the next morning to the smell of bacon drifting up from Gaius' chambers. He lay for a moment, breathing in the smell, before climbing out of bed. He dressed quickly and made his down into the main room, where Gaius was stood at his work table, flicking through the pages of a very large book.

He looked up and smiled at his ward, before gesturing to the table, where Merlin's breakfast was sat.

'Where did that come from?'

Gaius glanced at the plate. 'A gift from the Lady Guinevere.'

Merlin laughed. 'She didn't have to do this.'

'You know what she's like, Merlin. She probably thinks I'm not feeding you enough.'

Merlin's only response to this was a raised eyebrow as he sat down. Gaius quickly clouted him round the back of the head, and told him to get on and eat.

They sat in silence for a few moment, save for the sound of contented eating and pages turning.

'What this big announcement Uther's making this afternoon?'

His guardian shrugged, but Merlin could have sworn that he saw the old man's lips turn upwards, ever so slightly, in a smile.

'I'm not sure.'

'It must be important if everyone in the Kingdom is ordered to attend.'

'It must be,' Gaius nodded. Merlin narrowed his eyes.

'Gaius...' his tone was accusing, and Gaius turned, a look of pure innocence on his face. They stared at each other for a moment before they both burst out laughing.

'Go on, off with you,' Gaius chuckled, making a shooing gesture with his hands. 'I've got work to do, and I'm sure Arthur has a long list of chores for you.'

The Warlock groaned. 'Of course he does,' Merlin muttered as he stood up, and made his way across the cluttered chambers.

'Oh, and Merlin?' Merlin turned back to his guardian. 'Don't forget to do my leech tank.' Merlin glared at Gaius before turning back away. 'And Merlin? Lucy wants you to meet her in the Courtyard after Uther's speech.' Gaius laughed at the way Merlin's eyes lit up as the mention of his love. The young man nodded before disappearing into the corridor.

Gaius watched his ward walk away, pride welling up inside him. If only Merlin knew...

XxX

'Do I _have_to go?'

'Yes, Merlin, you have to go.'

'Why?'

Arthur sighed and threw his quill down, turning to face his manservant. 'Because I said so!'

'That's a rubbish reason,' Merlin stated.

'Tough!' Arthur turned back to his reports, and Merlin smirked.

'You know, today is...'

'I'm already giving you the afternoon off, Merlin. Don't push it.'

Merlin rolled his eyes, and finished straightening out the cushions, the silence filled by the scratching of the Prince's quill. 'What's so important about today anyway?'

Arthur hesitated slightly, causing the Warlock to frown. 'No reason.'

'Well, there obviously is, if the whole town has to be present,' Merlin snorted, as he moved over to the table where the remains of the Prince's breakfast were waiting for him to take back to the kitchens.

'My father just decided to make the announcement today.'

'No one even knows what it's about! Why..?'

'He's the King, Merlin. He can do what he likes,' Arthur snapped

Merlin stared at the Prince, until he looked up.

'What?'

'You're acting weird again.'

'What a charming compliment.'

'I'm serious, Arthur,'

'So am I.'

The younger man huffed irritably, and Arthur couldn't help but laugh.

'Just get on with your chores, and then you can spend the afternoon with Lucy.'

Merlin's cheeks flushed red, causing Arthur to snigger. He grabbed the tray and made his way over to the door.

'High noon, Merlin. And don't be late.'

'When am I ever?' Merlin replied with an innocent look.

XxX

Merlin stood quietly behind Arthur and Gwen, head bowed and arms clasped behind his back. He didn't know what was going on, and neither did anyone else. He could see Gaius and Lucy stood to the side in the Courtyard, and wished that he was down there with them. Why on earth did he have to be up here for the whole kingdom to stare at?

The King was stood at the edge of the balcony, looking down on his subjects. Most of the city had gathered to hear what Uther had to say.

'One month ago, Prince Arthur and Lady Guinevere announced that they are to wed next spring. On this day, Prince Arthur presented me with a request,' at this Uther glanced at Arthur. 'After much discussion and deliberation, I agreed to his request.' Uther paused for a moment, taking a deep breath. Merlin was confused. What was causing the King to show so much emotion? What had Arthur asked of his father?

'As King of Camelot, ruler of this land and father to Arthur and Morgana Pendragon, I declare that, from this day forth, magic will no longer be outlawed in Camelot, on pain of death or any other punishment. Sorcerer's will once again be welcome in this kingdom, as it was before the Purge.'

The crowd beneath them let out a collective gasp. Merlin's head shot up and he immediately met Arthur and Gwen's gaze. One look was all he needed. Gwen smiled warmly at him, before grabbing him in a massive hug. He was still in shock, and he glanced at Arthur as the Prince clapped him on the shoulder.

'Happy Birthday, Merlin.'

XxX

She was waiting for him in the Courtyard, as Gaius had said she would be. As he descended the steps she hurried over to him, wrapping her arms around him in a tight embrace. He just slumped forward, burying his face in her long, auburn hair.

Lucy laughed, and drew him closer, stroking the back of his head. 'I'm so proud of you.'

He lifted his head up, and she laughed again, gently wiping the tears from his face. 'Did you know?'

Lucy nodded her head. 'Gaius warned me that you'd need a dose of reality after it happened.'

Merlin's smile was soft as he placed a kiss on her forehead, and leant against her. 'I can't believe this is happening.'

'But it is, Merlin. It really is.'

He leant back to look at her. 'I'm sorry I didn't tell you before.'

'It's OK; I understand. I just need to know,' she fixed him with a serious gaze. 'Were you ever going to tell me?'

'Of course; when I was sure it wouldn't put you in danger.'

'You're worth the risk,' Lucy whispered, standing on her toes to kiss him.

They stood there, in each others embrace, until a loud wolf whistle jerked them out of their thoughts.

Merlin's eyes immediately flashed gold, and a loud yell echoed around the courtyard as Gwaine was hoisted into the air by his ankle.

'Ah! Merlin!'

'Serves you right!' The Warlock smirked, turning to watch his friend struggle.

'Come on, mate! Give a friend a hand.'

Merlin tilted his head to the side. 'I think you look rather good upside down. Wouldn't you say, Lucy?'

She giggled, and wrapped her fingers through Merlin's. He took hold of her hand, and led her back into the castle, Gwaine's protests echoing loudly behind them.

With another flash of gold, the Knight landed in heap on the floor, and the whole courtyard burst out laughing. Merlin felt his chest swell at the obvious acceptance of his magic, and, yet again, Lucy wiped a tear from her boyfriends eye.

XxX

Merlin sat on the steps leading into the castle, watching the people of Camelot go about their daily business. Instead of his usual cotton jacket, he was wearing deep blue robes, courtesy of Arthur for his promotion as the new Court Magician of Camelot two days ago. Across the courtyard, Gilli gave him a small wave from where he was helping shift a particularly heavy load. Merlin gave him a small salute back, smiling to himself. It was good to see the other sorcerer settling into a role in Camelot that suited him. Arthur hadn't hesitated to recruit a knight that could also use magic, and Gilli had come with a recommendation from Merlin.

He felt a hand on his shoulder and immediately knew it was Arthur as the Prince sat down next to him, leaning forward to rest his elbows on his knees, observing his people.

'Are you alright?'

Merlin glanced at his friend, before smiling slightly. 'Yeah. I don't think it's fully sunk in yet.'

Arthur laughed lightly. 'I don't think that's how you expected your magic to come out.'

'You got that right.'

The two friends sat in silence for a few more minutes.

'Arthur?'

'Yeah?'

'When did you find out?'

Arthur was silent for a moment before replying. 'I think I always knew. There's always been something about you, something that's been bugging me since we met. There was so much stuff that couldn't be explained, and I know, now, that it was always you. But, to answer your question, I was walking Guinevere home when we saw you sneaking out the castle, and decided to follow you.'

Merlin bit his lip, and looked down at his hands. 'You saw Kilgarrah.'

'Yeah,' Arthur snorted. 'That was a bit of a shock, but the thing that scared me was how you talked to him, almost like he was your friend.'

'What were we talking about?' Merlin asked, praying silently that it wasn't the conversation about the Cup of Life and Merlin's powers over Life and Death.

'You were worried about the demon that Morgause let loose in the castle.'

Realisation hit Merlin as he thought back to the incident over a month ago. 'Oh, so that's why you were so eager to help when I came to you! Normally you just ignore me when I say stuff like that.'

'I do not!' Arthur stopped at the smirk on Merlin's face. He bumped his shoulder into Merlin's, seeing the younger man's grin widen, and smiling himself.

'Yeah, it's the reason I didn't _question_you. And it's the reason we didn't confront you. Gwen and I spent ages talking about it, which was when we worked out that Gaius and Lancelot knew, and it was likely that Gwaine did too…'

'Gwaine?'

'Yep,' Arthur smirked, looking triumphant. 'He knew pretty much from the moment you met. Something about flying plates and benches.'

Merlin grinned sheepishly, remembering his first meeting with Gwaine. 'Didn't think he'd noticed. He _was_getting pounded at the time.'

Arthur chuckled before continuing. 'We decided not to talk to you just yet, not until we'd found out more. So Guinevere spoke to Lancelot, and I, for some mad reason, decided to corner Gwaine. In the armoury.'

Merlin laughed; he couldn't help it. 'That was probably a bad idea.'

Arthur nodded, 'That's an understatement. I've never been threatened so much in my life; he's very protective of you, Merlin. But I did manage to get him to talk eventually; I heard his side of the story, put it together with what Guinevere had got out of Lancelot, and then we talked to Gaius. That was when we decided to keep it from you altogether that we knew about your magic. I was hoping you'd tell me yourself…'

'I wanted to,' Merlin interrupted. 'You don't know how much I wanted too, Arthur…'

'I know, Merlin. Like I was saying, I was hoping you'd tell me, but I knew you wouldn't. You were scared, and you had every right to be, especially after this whole Morgana thing. I just… I'm sorry you had to go through all that on your own, but I swear, Merlin. You're not alone any-more'

Merlin looked down at his clasped hands, an overwhelming sense of relief rushing through him. Arthur clapped him on the shoulder and stood up.

'Arthur.'

He looked back down at his friend.

'Thank you.

The Prince smiled. 'You too.'

_**Only one more chapter to go! **_

_**I know I said it would be quick, but that was only if my laptop didn't decide to crash Microsoft Word again... And it did. So I'm now using a different programme. **_

_**Thank you again to my lovely Beta's Arthurmol, and hollyblue2 who has written a Merlin drabble series that's certainly worth a look. **_

_**Please review and I'll get the final chapter written as soon as I can! **_

_**Valkyriexx**_


	6. Destiny

**Destiny**

**I'm sorry it's taken so long! Not going to bother making excuses (mocks, broken laptop, and serious bunny abandonment.) **

**So, here it is! The final chapter. Thank you to everyone who has stuck around to read this story; you guys are so amazing! And thank you especially to my wonderful Beta's Arthursmol and Hollyblue2! **

The sun was setting over Camelot, bathing the castle in a warm, orange light. King Arthur leant against the battlements, watching his people, as the first day of his reign came to an end.

His father stood next to him, his gaze flicking between his son and the citadel.

'How does it feel?'

Arthur smiled. 'I'm not sure yet. As Merlin so eloquently put it, "I'll get there in my own prattish time".'

Uther chuckled. 'He certainly has a way with words.'

'That he does.'

They watched as the man himself rode back into the courtyard, with Gilli by his side.

'I'm proud of you, Arthur.' The King turned to look to his father, who was still gazing out over the kingdom. 'You'll be a much better King than I ever was.'

'Father...'

'It's true,' Uther smiled at his son. 'All this time I was trying to protect you from the only thing keeping you alive. I realised, too late, that I only wanted revenge for Ygraine... for you mother's death.'

'An eye for an eye?' Arthur raised his eyebrow. Uther nodded. 'That just leaves everyone blind. A wise man taught me that.'

'A wise man who doesn't like me very much,' Uther sighed.

'He's just seeing how far he can push it before I tell him to back off,' Arthur smirked. 'It's what he does. Merlin's had a long time to think about where he stands when it comes to your hatred of magic.'

'And?'

'Merlin doesn't know how to hate. To be honest, father, I think he's still a bit frightened of you. Not that he'll ever say that out loud.' Arthur tapped his hand against the stone as he stood back up. 'Come have breakfast with Guinevere and myself tomorrow morning.'

Uther looked slightly startled. 'I do not wish to impose on you and your wife.'

'You wouldn't be imposing; I insist.'

Uther smiled. 'Then I would be delighted.'

Arthur nodded. 'I will see you then, father. Good night.'

He smiled, and turned back to the tower. In the doorway, hidden by shadows, he could see his wife waiting for him. She took his hand, and placed a gentle kiss on his lips.

'No one is more proud of you than I, Arthur,' she whispered.

He leant his forehead against hers, and sighed lovingly. 'You are not the first to say that to me today, my lady.'

'And I certainly won't be the last. So many people are hopeful of the era of peace you shall bring. You and Merlin.'

'So no pressure,' he joked, and was pleased to see her laugh. 'Why did I get lumped with Merlin anyway?'

'Because the dragon said so.'

They both laughed, and made their way back into the castle, heading towards Merlin's chambers to dine with him and his beautiful fiancée.

XxX

Uther slid into his son's chambers the next morning, to find Guinevere sat at their table, eating a light breakfast.

'Good morning, My Lady.'

Guinevere nodded to him, and turned back to the book she was reading. Arthur was still asleep, spread out across the bed, his arm dangling off the side.  
>Uther frowned, and glanced at the Queen, who smiled, putting a finger to her lips, before standing up and sidling over to her father-in-law.<p>

'Arthur's had this coming for weeks.'

As if on cue, Merlin slipped into the room. He hesitated when he caught the Uther's eye, but Gwen gave him an encouraging nod, and Merlin grinned at her, before moving over to the curtains.

'Rise and Shine!'

The reaction was instantaneous. Arthur pulled a pillow over his head with one hand, whilst reaching for his goblet with the other. The goblet shattered by the side of Merlin's head a moment later, and Arthur rolled over, his head still under the pillow.

'Oh come on, Arthur. Don't be like that. You've got such an exciting day ahead of you!'

'Really?' Arthur's muffled voice didn't sound reassured, and, next to him, Guinevere giggled.

'Of course! You've got to make a speech to the Council, then King Bayard's envoy will be arriving.' Arthur groaned, and pulled the pillow tighter over his head. Merlin was beaming as he continued to read off of the list in his hand.

'Then you need to inspect the latest batch of Squire's, then you have your own training to attend, reports to read...'

'I swear you're making this up, _Mer_lin.'

'Now why would I do that?' Merlin sighed dramatically, throwing the list down on the desk, and striding over to the bed. He stood for a moment, with his arms folded in front of him, trying to catch a glimpse of his King, before, much to Uther's surprise, launching himself across the bed, grabbing Arthur under the arms, and pulling him backwards.

'Get off!'

'Nope! Come on now, Arthur!'

And, just like that, Merlin dumped the new king on the floor. **(1)**

It ended, rather dramatically, with Merlin in a headlock, whilst Arthur rubbed his knuckles viscously against his friend's head.

The Queen of Camelot had to lean against a chair, she was laughing so hard, and Uther just watched the scene before him with a raised eyebrow and a slight smile.

XxX

In the end, it hadn't mattered that it was forbidden. Some even argued that it had made the friendship stronger.

Arthur Pendragon and Merlin Emrys; two sides of the same coin. Completely opposite; completely the same.

Under their leadership, the kingdom of Camelot thrived, with magic and non-magic alike working towards a common goal. Uther had never been prouder than he was the day that final treaty was signed, and all of Albion rejoiced as they were united under a single banner; Queen Guinevere stood the side holding Arthur's new born son, with nothing but pride and love on her face as Arthur and Merlin stood, side by side, as the people of Camelot cheered.

Sometimes, Uther wondered if things would have turned out the same if he _hadn't_banned magic all those years ago; if it hadn't been against the rules to promote commoners, or to befriend a servant.

Would Arthur still have become the King he was now?

As he watched Arthur and Merlin wrestling back and forth on the training fields, Uther couldn't help but smile.

It didn't matter what could've happened; what only mattered was what they had chosen. Arthur had chosen to go against his father, and, in doing so, had built a better future for himself and his kingdom.

Some rules are just made to be broken.

**(1) One of my favourite scenes from Season 4. Couldn't help adding it in. **

**And that's it!  
>I'm really sad to see this story finish, BUT I already have a S4 AU in mind! Hopefully, the first couple of chapter will be up by Christmas! <strong>

**Thank you again to everyone who's reviewed favourited and alerted!**

**TTFN  
>Valkyriexx<strong>


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